At What Age Do We Peak in Intelligence?

Like our physical abilities, our cognitive abilities decline once we hit a certain age. When do we hit our mental peak? The answer may surprise you.

Video Summary

Intelligence can be broken down into two types: crystallized and fluid intelligence. Fluid intelligence is the capacity to think logically and solve problems, independent of acquired knowledge. Crystallized intelligence is the ability to use the knowledge that you’ve learned. Tests show that fluid intelligence peaks in young adulthood and gradually declines. Crystallized intelligence remains more stable and has been shown, in some cases, to only really decline in people who are in their 70s. Other tests show that our general mental abilities increase until our late 30s or early 40s. They start to decline in our late 60s.